Counterbalance for well pumps



May 7,' 193,5.

' A. L. SKINNER COUNTERBALANCE FOR WELL PUMPS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 OriginalFiled NOV. 28, 1928 w m Cu i zwm m (Ittomeg May '7, 1935. A. L. SKINNERv I COUNTERBALANCE FOR WELL PUMPS 3 Sheets-Sheet; 2

Original Filed Nov. 28. 192s 3 mm a *IFW (Ittorneg May 7, 1935. A. L.SKINNER COUN'IERBALANCE FOR WELL PUMPS Original Filed Nov. 2a, 1928 5Sheets-Sheet s gih ventor I Gttorneg Reissued May 7,1935

This invention provements counterbalancing COUNTERBALANOE son WELL rum-sAlva L. Skinner, Bridgeport, lll., assignor to. the

Ohio Oil Company, Findlay tion oi Ohio Original No.

abandoned application Application for reissue July vember 28, 1928.

1,868,028, dated July 19, February 17, 10:0,

, Ohio, a corpora- 1932. Serial reflled tor Serial No. 322,467, No-

14. 1934, Serial No. 135,279

16 Claims.

relates to new and useful imin the power units of oil well pumpingmachines, and, more particularly to means for the load end of the beam,the

present application being an application for reissue of Letters PatentNo. 1,868,028, issued July 19, 1932, on patent application Serial No.429,168,

filed February 1 I, 1930, which last mentioned patent application was arefiling of an application filed November 28, 1928, Serial No. 322,467.At present this counterbalancing is sometime accomplished by means ofweights placed on the end oi the beam opposite to that to-which the rodsare attached, while in other instances it is accomplished by means ofweights adjustably mounted on the crank which operates the beam,

and this present latter type.

invention has to do with the In machines where the counterbalancedweights are applied directly to the crank, these weights, usually two innumber, are adjustably mounted on slideways associated with the crank,and are held in adjusted position by some clamping means, usually nutsand bolts, and are adjustable on straight lines towards and away fromthe drive shaft. usually arranged zontal position.

The slideways, for the two weights, are one above and the other belowthecrank, assuming the latter to be in a hori- The adjusting operation oithe counterbalanced crank, oi the type in present use, requires thestopping of the power unit in such position that the crank, with itsslideways, will lie in an approximately horizontal position.

The clamping bolts of the upper weight are then loosened and said weightis iorced along its slide to the proper distance from the, shait, aiterwhich the bolts are again tightened. The power unit must then be startedagain and then stopped with the crank in proper position, so that theweight, then uppermost, may be adjusted in a similar manner.

, Thus, the power unit and the pump must be stopped twice for eachadjustment of weights. Not only does this stopping oi the pump cause theflow of oil to'cease with a resultant loss, but there is then presentthe always-to-be-avoided danger of an accumulation oi sand at thevalves, necessitating the expensive operation of pulling the tubing,which causes a six to eight hour loss of oil flow. Furthermore, indevices of the type just described, there is dangerv oi theclampingmeans becomin operation, thrash back and i loose while themachine is in ing in damage to the apparatus and, attimes, injury toattendants.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to produce acounterbalanced crank, including a plurality of weights, whereby saidweights may be simultaneously adjusted.

Another object is to produce a device oi this character wherein all oithe weights may be adjusted upon a single stopping of the power unit.

A further object is to produce a counterbalanced crank whereinaccidental movement of the weights cannot take place during theoperation of the crank.

Another object is to provide novel and improved means for accomplishingminute adjustments 0! the weights whereby to obtain accuratedistribution of the weight of counterbalance in proportion to the loadon the pump end 0! the beam.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the followingdescription when taken in connection with the accompanyin drawings.

, In the drawings:

Figure l is an elevation of a portion of an oil well rig, showing acounterbalancing crank made in accordance with the present invention,the weights, as originally assembled, being shown in dotted lines.

Figure 2 is an end view broken away.

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 3-3 0! Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an elevation of the reverse side of the counterbalancingdevice, a portion being broken away, and the weights being shown asoriginally assembled.

Figure 5 is a detail showing one of the counterbalance weights.

Figure 6 is a detail view showing the weight disk.

Reierring particularly to the accompanying drawings, Ill represents theSamson post oi an oil well rig which pivotally supports the walking beamII, to one end of which is connected the usual line of pump rods, notshown. Beneath the walking beam is a support- Ii on which a housing Itis mounted. Within the lower portion of the housing is a worm-shalt II,which is driven by any suitable source 01 power. In the upper portion ofthe housing is a shaft ll which extends at right angles to theworm-shaft and has fixed thereon, within the housing, a wormwheel 20which meshes with and is driven by said worm-shaft. Fixed on one end ofthe shaft ll, outside of the casing, is a crank II which is preterablyin the form of a disk eccentrically connected'tc the shaft at-an opening22. Extending across the face of the disk from the opening 22, to itsdiametrically opposite side, is a series of openings 23, any one ofwhich, according to the stroke desired, may receive a crank pin 24 towhich the lower end of the pitman 25 is connected. connected withtheadjacent end of the walking beam, for operating the same.

As shown in Figure 3, the periphery of the crank-disk side, and a rabbet21, at the other, resulting in a step 2|. At a suitable point in theperiphery of the disk are the r I! and I0 which open through the step ofthese recesses, so as to extend thereacross, are 32, on which spur-gears33 and 34 are fixed, these gears being positioned within the recesses,excepting for a portion of each which extends outwardly through the step28. It will be noted that they are offset, so that the teeth done ofeach of the shafts 3i and 32 protrudes beyond the face of the crank-diskand fixed upon these the worm-gears 35 and 36. meshing with which is-theworm-screw "having the angular head 38, by means of which it may beturned to simultane ously turn the gears 33 and 34 in opposite directionfora purpose which will be hereinafter described.

' and 40 are mounted so that their openings 4| reing in contactingrelation and each ce ive the crank-disk 2|, their ring-gears 43 be-' inmesh with one of the through the crank-disk 2 I. The weights areoriginally positioned so that their solid portions are in juxta-positionand in alignment with a series of openings 2], but at the oppomte sideof the shaft l9, asshown in the dotted lines in Figure 1.

The operation of the device is as follows:

and 38 in opposite directions and, correspondingly, the gears I3 and 34.As said gears are in mesh with the ring-gears of the weights, the lattermay then gravitate to the desired positions, with respect to thecrank-pin 24. The apparatus is then ready for op ra ion and the pump maybe started. Should there be any lost motion in the gearing by means ofwhich the weights are controlled, the periphery of the crank disk may beso machined as to cause the retaining ring 44 to 'clamp the weights to asuflicient degree to prevent rattle.

From the foregoing it be noted that a construction has been provided inwhich the counter- This pitman has its upper end properly 2| isformedwithaflange 26, at one II, and iournaled in the walls do not align withthose of the other. One end having a series of gear teeth to balanceweights and with ease. time is required may be adjusted simultaneouslyso that a minimum amolmt of in that operation. It will also be noticedthat, while the weights may be moved through the medium of the worm andgears, the arrangement of this gearing will prevent their accidentalthrashing back and forth while the device is in operation. Again, owingto the facility with which such adJustments may be made, the

supported on the eccentric, said weight members having ring-gearsthereon, means on the eccentric engaged with the ring-gears for rotatingthe weight members around the eccentric, and means for operating therotating means.

3. In a counterbalancing device for well pumping apparatuses thecombination'with a walking beam'having pump rods and a pitman connectedthereto, of a prime mover including a shaft having an eccentricconnected to said pitman, a counterbalance weight mounted for rotationaround the eccentric, means for rotating said weight to counterbalancesaid pump rods, and means for operating said rotating means.

4. A power unit for well pumping machines including a shaft, a crankdisk connected to the shaft, gears carried by the crank disk andprojecting through the margin thereof, counterbalance weights mounted onthecrank disk in engagement with said gears, and means for rotating saidgears to simultaneously adjust said weights, in opposite directions,around the crank disk 5. A power unit for well pumping machinesincluding a shaft, a crank disk connected to the shaft, counterbalanceweights mounted on said crank disk for rotary adjustment therearound,means for adjusting said counterbalance weights, and a retaining ringfor clamping said weights in their adjusted positions.

6. In a counterbalancing device for'well pumping apparatuses, a shaft,an eccentric on the shaft,

a plurality of weights mounted on the eccentric for movement in parallelplaneaand means for simultaneously moving the weights in oppositedirections.

7. In a counterbalancing device for well pump- 6 ing apparatuses, ashaft, an eccentric mounted on the shaft, counterbalance weight membersrotatably supported on theeccentric. and means.

carried by the eccentric andoperativeiy engaged with the weight membersfor simultaneously rotating the latter around the eccentric.

8. A counterbalancingdevice for well pumping apparatuses including ashaft, an eccentric mounted on the shaft, weight members rotatabiysupported on the eccentric, said weight members having ring-gearsthereon, and means on the eccentric enga ed with the weightmembers'around the eccentric.

9. In a counterbalancing device for well pumping apparatuses, a shaft,an eccentric mounted the ring-gears for rotating on theshait, weightmembers rotatably supported on the eccentric, said weight members havingring-gears thereon, and gears carried by -the eccentric forsimultaneously rotating the weight members.

10. In a counterbalancing device for well pumping apparatuses, thecombination with a walking-beam having pump rods and a pitman connectedthereto, 01' a prime mover including a shaft having an eccentricconnected to said pitman, a counterbalance weight mounted for rotationaround the eccentric, and means for rotating said weight member tocounterbalance said pump rods. I

11.In a counterbalance for deep well pumping devices, a shaft, aneccentric on said shaft,

a counterbalance weight mounted on the eccentric for rotation around theecmntric, means for rotating the weight entirely around the eccentric,and means for operating said rotating 12. In a counterbalancing devicefor well pumping apparatuses, a shaft, an eccentric on the shaft,counterbalance elements rotatably mounted on the eccentric, and meansfor simultaneously moving said elements toward each other around theshaft.

'18. In a counterbalancing device for well pumping apparatuses, a shaft.an eccentric on the shaft, counterbalance weights movably mounted on theeccentric, means for simultaneously moving the weights around theeccentrio, and means for operating said moving means.

14. In a counterbalancing device ior well pumping apparatuses, a shaft,an eccentric mounted on the shalt, weight members rotatably supported onthe eccentric, said weight members having ring gears thereon, gearscarried by the eccentric and engaged with the ring.

ing apparatus, the combination with a rotary crank shalt, of a diskhavinga completely circular periphery eccentrically mounted on saidshalt, weights movably mounted on the periphery'ot the disk, means foradjusting the weights circumierentially around the disk, and means forfixing the weights relative to the disk.

[ALVA L. sxnmm.

